The effects of brief variable foreperiods on simple reaction time
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1989
Publication Source
Bulletin of the Psychonomnic Society
Abstract
Highly practiced subjects responded to a visual stimulus that was presented with a probability of 1.00 (no catch trials) or 0.90 (catch trials) after one of five randomly determined brief fore-periods (300, 400, 500, 600, or 700 msec). Mean reaction time decreased linearly under the no catch-trials condition and curvilinearly under the catch-trials condition, as a function of increasing foreperiod duration. The results were consistent with the hypothesis that reaction time covaries with the momentary probability of occurrence of the response signal. Specifically, an increase in this momentary probability leads to an increase in the subject’s readiness to detect the signal. Because performance was virtually errorless, it appears that any concomitant tendency to anticipate the signal can be successfully inhibited.
Inclusive pages
467-469
Volume
27
Peer Reviewed
yes
Keywords
Simple Reaction Time, Warning Signal, Foreperiod
eCommons Citation
Polzella, Donald J.; Ramsey, Eric G.; and Bower, Samuel M., "The effects of brief variable foreperiods on simple reaction time" (1989). Psychology Faculty Publications. 61.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/psy_fac_pub/61
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